CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria

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Project Scope Statement (approved by SDWG, pending TSC approval): http://wiki.hl7.org/index.php?title=File:HL7_Project_Scope_Statement_v2012_Quality_Criteria_for_CDA_IGs.06Sept2012.docx

Timeline:

• Draft list by end of Dec 2012;
• Test the use of the list against Jan 2013 ballot;
• Finalize list by end of March 2013;
• Do some good stuff with the list after that.

Suggested CDA Implementation Guide Quality Criteria

• Title page
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Title is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Version of base standard is specified (e.g. CDA R2)
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Realm(s) is/are specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Ballot type (e.g. DSTU, Informative, etc) is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Date of ballot / publication is specified
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] HL7 International logo and copyright are present
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] HL7-approved title page is used and not changed (i.e. title page is approved by HQ).

• Templates
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Each template has a narrative description
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Each template has a globally unique identifier
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Approved for use] Constraints are ordered within a template per the XML ITS ordering rules
  • [Jan 14, 2013 Consider for future use] Constraints should be traceable to requirements

• Version? Usage? Edition?
  • [Feb 7, 2013 SDWG: In the IG Publishing subgroup queue for consideration] Guide specifies both normative and inferred or inherited constraints, but clearly differentiates between them with visual cues
  • or,
  • [Feb 7, 2013 SDWG: In the IG Publishing subgroup queue for consideration] Guide is published both in a concise version for normative purposes, including only constraints unique to the guide, and in a verbose version for developers, making all constraints explicit, whether unique to the guide or inherited

• Value sets
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Are linked to coded elements within templates using normative binding syntax
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Each value set is referenced via a value set OID
  • [Feb 7, 2013 Approved for use] Each code in a value set has a specified code system OID
  • [Feb 14, 2013 Consider for future use] SNOMED CT value sets adhere to TermInfo conformance rules (as stated in the "Using SNOMED CT in HL7 Version 3" guide)

• Examples
  • Inline examples are present for all templates
  • [Feb 14, 2013 Approved for use] A stand alone and conformant sample file is present

• Extensions [suggested addition:Lisa Nelson]
  • A table summarizes all extensions
  • Modified Schema including all extensions

• Validation Guidance [suggested addition:Lisa Nelson, Virinder Batra]
  • A table listing the available validation mechanisms
  • Guidance on how to handle situations where a document instance validates under one mechanism, but generates errors under a different recommended validation mechanism.

• Validation [suggested addition: Brett Marquard]
  • Provide validation, either on a website or stand alone tool, for templates contained in an IG
  • Optionally, provide the test package used to validate the tool

• Adherence to Publishing Committee guidelines [suggested addition: Bob Dolin]
  • We anticipate that a CDA IG Subcommittee of the Publishing Committee will post (and continually update) CDA IG publishing criteria